Jury selection begins for attempted murder trial of East Norriton man

COURTHOUSE — Jury selection began Monday morning in the attempted murder case of Phillip Mullin, the 27-year-old East Norriton man charged with critically wounding another local man following a shooting outside the Black Horse Tavern in East Norriton two days before Christmas 2011.

Mullin is charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, weapons offenses and related charges in what is expected to be a five-day jury trial before Montgomery County Judge Carolyn Carluccio.

The meticulous process of jury selection dragged on for more than six hours Monday, with the judge sending the panel home late afternoon. Opening arguments are expected first thing Tuesday morning, with Assistant District Attorney Nate Schadler as lead prosecutor in the case.

Mullin, 26, of the 2600 block of Hillcrest Avenue, is accused of putting a man permanently in a wheelchair, after a gunshot blast to the victim’s chest left him paralyzed from the waist down.

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On Dec. 23, 2011, a witness reported seeing two men arguing inside the Black Horse Tavern on Swede Road just before 10:30 p.m. According to court documents, the fight spilled out into the parking lot. Mullin then allegedly brandished a laser-sighted handgun, pointed it at the victim’s chest and fired.

The victim was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he remained in critical condition for some time.

During the investigation, officers recovered several pieces of evidence allegedly putting Mullin at the scene of the crime, including a Taser cartridge in the parking lot of the Black Horse Tavern. A sweep of Mullin’s home also resulted in findings of a Taser, a black backpack containing a Winchester 32-caliber handgun, several boxes of ammunition and a Baretta clip. A home computer was also seized.